These middle school Creature Portraits were created after studying Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Students observed how the Sfumato technique was used in this famous portrait. The technique is a fine shading meant to produce a soft transition between colors and tones, in order to achieve a more believable image. It is most often used by making subtle gradations that do not include lines or borders, from areas of light to areas of dark. Students also observed the unique way the Mona Lisa is posed and how the eyes follow the viewer.